Golf putting practice apparatus

ABSTRACT

A device for an individual&#39;&#39;s practice and training in correct putting consisting of a guide member having an adjustable width slot running the length thereof and open along the top to receive the head of a practice putter club, the width of the channel being adjustable to the length of the putter head so that even a slight twisting of the club head as it passes through the channel would cause the head to become lodged in the channel, and the putter head being adjustably connected to the shaft to provide for the adjustment of the angle of the head with respect to the shaft, the device providing for the developing of an individual&#39;&#39;s smooth and even putting stroke.

United States Patent 11 1 King [ GOLF PUTTING PRACTICE APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Verne W. King, Sargent, Nebr.

22 Filed: July 5,1974

21 Appl. No.: 486,181

1 51 May 27, 1975 Primary ExaminerGe0rge J. Marlo Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Washington Patent Assistance, Inc.

[57] ABSTRACT A device for an individuals practice and training in correct putting consisting of a guide member having an adjustable width slot running the length thereof and open along the top to receive the head of a practice putter club, the width of the channel being adjustable to the length of the putter head so that even a slight twisting of the club head as it passes through the channel would cause the head to become lodged in the channel, and the putter head being adjustably connected to the shaft to provide for the adjustment of the angle of the head with respect to the shaft, the device providing for the developing of an individuals smooth and even putting stroke.

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures GOLF PUTTING PRACTICE APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to golfing accessories and more particularly to a novel device for the training and practice of an individual's putting for the development of a smooth and even putting stroke.

2. Description of the Prior Art In recent years the popularity of the game of golf has increased as the game may be enjoyed by individuals of different ages, social groups, and both sexes in an enjoyable and competitive manner. In the play of the game of golf, it is important that individuals master the proper putting stroke as such forms an essential ingredient of the game as to the final putting of a ball on the green into the hole. As is well known, the game of golf is frequently lost due to a poor putt on the part of the player.

To provide for practice of a players putting stroke, prior art devices have been provided which are a general fascimile of a cup or hole into which the golfer putts the ball for practice purposes. However, the actual stroke and act of putting itself is commonly ignored even though such is of essential importance if the ball is to be putted in a true course to the hole.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention recognizes the great need for a device to specifically improve and train an individual player in the proper putting stroke, and provides a novel solution thereto in the form of a compact and easily portable putt right training and practice device for the practice and training of a player in the keeping of a club head normal at all times to the lie of the ball, the device immediately indicating of any twisting of the golf club head relative to the position of the ball.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide a putt right training and practice device for use in the developing of a smooth and even putting stroke.

A further feature of the present invention provides a putt right training and practice device which is relatively simple in its construction and which therefore may be readily manufactured at a relatively low cost and by simple manufacturing methods such that the device may be retailed at a sufficiently low price to encourage its widespread use.

Still a further feature of the present invention provides a putt right training and practice device which is possessed of few parts and which therefore is unlikely to get out of order.

Yet still a further feature of the present invention provides a putt right training and practice device which is easy to use and reliable and efficient in operation, and one which is of an aesthetically pleasing and refinedappearance.

Other features and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following descriptron.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification. and in which like reference characters are employed to designate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a golfer using the device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view ofthe club head and its adjustable connection to the club shaft; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary exploded perspective view of a portion of the guide member illustrating the adjustable feature thereof.

DESCRIPTION vOF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail there is illustrated a preferred form of a putt right training and practice device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and designated generally in its entirety by the reference numeral 10 and which is comprised of two component parts. namely a guide member 11 and a golf putter club 12.

The guide member 11 may be manufactured out of metal, wood, hard rubber, plastic, or any other suitable satisfactory material with the preferred embodiment being manufactured completely of wood which is finished in an aesthetically pleasing color or stain. The guide member 1 1 consists of a flat rectangularly shaped base 21 and a pair of elongated vertical spaced apart and parallelly disposed side rails 22.

The base 21 has a flat top surface 23, a flat bottom surface 24, opposed parallel end edges 25 and 26, and opposed parallel side edges 27. A black stripe 28 extends longitudinally along the central axis of the base member 21 on the top surface 23 thereof completely between the opposite ends 25 and 26. The strip or stripe 28 may be painted on the top surface 23, or may be applied thereto by pressure sensitive paper or the like.

Each of the side rails 22 are identical with each including a flat interior vertical surface 31, a flat vertical back surface 32, a top edge 33, a bottom edge 34, and opposed ends 35 and 36" The side rails 22 are each aligned longitudinally withthe longitudinal axis of the base 21 and are rested along opposite side edges 27 on top surface 23 in a manner defining a channel 40 therebetween.

Disposed in base 21 along each of the side edges 27 are a pair of transversely, extending slots 42 each having a screw 43 associated therewith and extending there through to engage the associated side rail 22 through the bottom surface 34 thereof in a manner to retain each side rail to the base=2l in an adjustable manner permitting the side rails to be moved transversely of the base in a direction toward and away from each other to thus vary the width of the'groove or channel 40.

The putter club 12 consists of a shaft 5l-which is swivelly attached at its bottom end 52 by means of a bolt 53 and wing nut 54 to a corner portion ofa rectangular putting head 55. The shaft 51 may be of a solid rod shaped member, or alternatively, may be comprised of telescopic sections to provide for the adjustment of the overall length of the shaft for players of various heights.

The club head 55 is of a rectangular block shape configuration having top surface 61, bottom surface 62. opposed side surfaces 63 and 64, and opposed face surfaces 65 and 66. The bolt 53 extends through the club head 55 between the face surfaces 65 and 66. A white stripe 68 is located along the top surface 61 normal to the plane of the face surfaces 65 and 66 and of a width corresponding to the width of the black stripe 28 on base 21.

In operation, golfer 70 adjusts the length of shaft 51 for his particular height, and then by use of the wing nut 54 adjusts the angle of the putting head 55 with respect to the shaft 51 for the proper stance with the bottom surface 62 of the club head disposed parallel to the ground surface. The side rails 22 of guide member 11 are adjusted to their maximum spread apart position to provide for the maximum width of channel 40. The golfer then takes the normal stance adjacent one of the side rails, such as seen in FIG. 1, and practices his putting stroke by aligning the stripes 68 and 28 and passing the club head between side rails 22 spaced above top surface 23 of base 21 between ends 25 and 26 with the club head always normal to the stripe 28, this representing the proper position of the face of the club head as being normal to a ball to be struck by the club head in the center thereof in the conventionally accepted manner] After a golfer has acelimatized himself to use of the device 10, the side rail. TIL are then adjusted inwardly to a position where the char iel 40 is just slightly wider than the length of the s head 55, with the golfer then again practicing his putting stroke with it being understood that as the club head passes through the channel 40 that even a slight twisting of the club head to disturb its normal disposition to the length of the stripe 28 will cause the side edges 63 and 64 to engage the interior surfaces 31 of side rails 22 and thus cause the club head to become lodged and bind in the channel. This immediately teaches the golfer that the club head is not normal to the path of travel representing its path to the golf ball, and provides for the teaching of the golfer of a smooth and even putting stroke with the club head being maintained normal to the golf ball.

In addition, it is to be understood that the vertical height of the side rails 22 above the base 21 is such as to prevent the golfers bad habit of lifting the club head 55 high off the ground during the putting stroke. The preferred embodiment has the channel 40 being 24 inches long with the base 21 having a width of 8 inches, and the height of the side rails being about 3% inches. The golfer adjusts the spacing between the side rails to that varying the difficulty in moving the golf head therebetween in a manner normal to the axis of the side rails at all .times, this channel width being adjusted by the golfer depending upon the individual skill of the golfer.

There is thus provided a novel putt right training and practice device for the developing of a smooth and even putting stroke, this being a putting stroke which is straight and close to the ground at all times with the face of the club head normal to the desired path of travel of the golf ball.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that this invention is not to be limited to the exact arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings or described in this specification as various changes in the details of construction as to shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of the novel concepts thereof,

or the scope of the sub-joined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved practice device for training in establishing correct putting technique and in the development of the correct putting stroke in the game of golf, said device comprising, in combination:

A guide member having a generally U-shaped crosssection adapted to be supported on the ground, said guide member being defined by a flat rectangularly shaped base having a flat top surface and a flat bottom surface with opposed front and back edges and opposed parallel side edges, the guide member further including identical side rails having top, bottom and back surfaces with a flat interior vertical surface and opposed end edges, each said side rail associated with one of the base side edges and extending therealong with the side rail bottom surface being supported upon the base top surface, the guide member further defining a pair of transversely extending slots associated with each of the side edges and disposed adjacent opposite end edges of the base member, each slot extending completely through the base member with the guide member further including fastening means associated with each said slot and extending therethrough to engage the associated side rail through the bottom surface thereof each of the side rails being adjustably movable transversely of the base member in a direction either toward or away from each other to selectively vary the width of the channel defined therebetween; and

a club element adapted to be used in combination with said guide member, the club having a head member adapted to pass through the side walls of said guide member and including a shaft extending from the head member and adapted to be gripped by the user for use in guiding the movement of the head member, the club being defined by an elongated shaft having a gripping portion at the top terminal thereof and a block shaped rectangular club head having substantially parallel top and bottom surfaces and parallel side surfaces disposed normal to the top and bottom surfaces, the club further defining an opening extending through the head adjacent one corner thereof and being defined between the top surface and one of the side surfaces, the club head including an aperture extending through the terminal end of the shaft normal to the axis of the shaft and adapted to receive a bolt to pass through the club head hole and aligned shaft aperture to pivotally secure the shaft to the club head, the club further being defined by a fastening means threadibly adjustably received on the bolt to permit adjustment of the angle of the club head with respect to the axis of the shaft; and

a first indicia extending along the central axis of the base member of the top surface thereof between opposite end edges thereof and a second indicia disposed on the top surface of the club head intermediate the side surfaces thereof and extending in a direction normal to the front and back surfaces thereof said second and first stripes being identical in general configuration and adapted to the aligned in use for training purposed. 

1. An improved practice device for training in establishing correct putting technique and in the development of the correct putting stroke in the game of golf, said device comprising, in combination: A guide member having a generally U-shaped crosssection adapted to be supported on the ground, said guide member being defined by a flat rectangularly shaped base having a flat top surface and a flat bottom surface with opposed front and back edges and opposed parallel side edges, the guide member further including identical side rails having top, bottom and back surfaces with a flat interior vertical surface and opposed end edges, each said side rail associated with one of the base side edges and extending therealong with the side rail bottom surface being supported upon the base top surface, the guide member further defining a pair of transversely extending slots associated with each of the side edges and disposed adjacent opposite end edges of the base member, each slot extending completely through the base member with the guide mEmber further including fastening means associated with each said slot and extending therethrough to engage the associated side rail through the bottom surface thereof each of the side rails being adjustably movable transversely of the base member in a direction either toward or away from each other to selectively vary the width of the channel defined therebetween; and a club element adapted to be used in combination with said guide member, the club having a head member adapted to pass through the side walls of said guide member and including a shaft extending from the head member and adapted to be gripped by the user for use in guiding the movement of the head member, the club being defined by an elongated shaft having a gripping portion at the top terminal thereof and a block shaped rectangular club head having substantially parallel top and bottom surfaces and parallel side surfaces disposed normal to the top and bottom surfaces, the club further defining an opening extending through the head adjacent one corner thereof and being defined between the top surface and one of the side surfaces, the club head including an aperture extending through the terminal end of the shaft normal to the axis of the shaft and adapted to receive a bolt to pass through the club head hole and aligned shaft aperture to pivotally secure the shaft to the club head, the club further being defined by a fastening means threadibly adjustably received on the bolt to permit adjustment of the angle of the club head with respect to the axis of the shaft; and a first indicia extending along the central axis of the base member of the top surface thereof between opposite end edges thereof and a second indicia disposed on the top surface of the club head intermediate the side surfaces thereof and extending in a direction normal to the front and back surfaces thereof said second and first stripes being identical in general configuration and adapted to the aligned in use for training purposed. 